Anne Appleby at the Missoula Art Museum (2021)

Anne Appleby: A Hymn For The Mother

August 6 2021 - December 20 2021

Observing and responding to her the forest surrounding her home and studio outside of Jefferson City, Montana, artist Anne Appleby distills her perceptions of natural elements as they perpetually alter throughout their life cycles. In this new series of works, Appleby addresses the collective angst we are experiencing, consciously or not, regarding the rapidly changing climate. Through a subtle approach employing various mediums and imagery, the exhibition examines the romantic ideas we hold culturally in relation to the reality and effects of a warming planet. Appleby states “I have spent the last twenty-three years painting the landscape of my Montana home, in a reductive language observing the cyclical nature of trees and plants. I use this language in the exhibition but also explore a traditional style of romantic landscape painting.”

"As an elegy to Mother Earth in face of unprecedented environmental destruction, A Hymn for the Mother may be best understood through the lens of forward-thinking conservation practices and legislation and the development of the environmental movement in Montana. Usually, contemporary art falls on one end of a spectrum while environmental policy and activism lie elsewhere, unrelated, but Appleby manages to create a body of work that bridges this traditional division. This is not to say that Appleby’s work is overtly political. Rather, the environmental movement in Montana works as an armature to support deeper engagement and a better understanding of the artist’s practice and her work." —Brandon Reintjes, senior curator at MAM.

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